1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus such as a video camera, capable of picking up a dynamic image or a still image.
2. Related Background Art
In a digital color camera, in response to depression of a RELEASE button, an image in a field is exposed onto a solid-state image pickup element, such as a CCD or a CMOS sensor, for a desired time period, an image signal obtained thereby and representing a still image of one picture is converted into a digital signal and is subjected to a predetermined processing, such as YC processing, and an image signal in a predetermined format is obtained. A digital image signal representing the picked-up image is recorded in a semiconductor memory on a picture-by-picture (frame) basis. The recorded image signal is read as desired and reproduced as a signal capable of being displayed or printed, and is output to a monitor or the like to be displayed.
As a technology for a digital color camera, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-123418 is known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-123418 discloses that an object image on an estimated imaging plane is reimaged by a plurality of reimaging optical systems, with the respective object images being picked up through optical filters having different spectral transmission factor characteristics. This is suitable for obtaining a color image with high resolution using image pickup elements of a limited number of pixels.
However, the above structure has a disadvantage in that color misalignment of an object image is caused based on the imaging state of the object. This is caused because light beams of the plurality of reimaging optical systems are separated on the pupil of an objective lens. It also has a disadvantage in that the camera has to be made larger in order to reimage an image of an object.